Sea salt and caramel. One of the food world’s best combinations. Ever!
As the Easter/Passover season approaches, we’re seeing store shelves lined with not-so-good for you crap…ahem…we mean “treats.” So we knew it was time for an 80:20 dessert!
Our Salted Date Caramels are quite decadent but way healthier for you and your family than the typical peanut butter cup! They are super easy to make and you’ll be amazed at how close they taste to the real thing.
The main ingredient in these tasty morsels is dates, which are full of fiber, potassium, iron, and B vitamins. Like any sweet treat remember to enjoy them in moderation while on the 80:20 eating plan.
Simply whirl together a few ingredients in a food processor, dip in a rich dark chocolate thinned with a bit of coconut oil, and sprinkle with a bit of flake sea salt and you have a beautiful and tasty treat to tuck into anyone’s Easter basket this year.
With salted caramel kisses,
Salted Date Caramels
Yield: 12 caramels
Ingredients:
- 1 cup packed, soft Medjool dates, pitted
- 1 TB. creamy almond butter
- ½ tsp. vanilla
- 1 tsp. warm water
- ¼ tsp. fine salt
- 2 ½ TB. almond flour
- 9 ounces dairy free dark chocolate chips such as Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels
- 1 TB. coconut oil
- Maldon Sea Salt Flakes for finishing
Instructions:
Place dates, almond butter, vanilla, water, fine sea salt, and almond flour in the bowl of a food processor and whirl until smooth. Scrape down the sides if necessary.
Lay a sheet of parchment paper flat on your work surface. Pat the date mixture into a square about 8” x 5” and ½” thick. The mixture will be sticky! It’s easiest to fold over the opposite half of the parchment paper to pat it into the correct shape and thickness. Wrap the date square with the extra half of the parchment like a present and place in the freezer for at least 2 hours or until firm.
Right before it’s time to take the date mixture out of the freezer, place the chocolate chips and coconut oil into a double boiler and melt until smooth. Take the date mixture out of the freezer and cut the larger date square into 12 smaller squares. While still frozen, using a skewer or fork, dip the date squares into the chocolate mixture tapping against the side of the bowl to remove the excess.
Place them on a sheet of parchment paper to set. Sprinkle with flake sea salt right before they completely harden. Chill in a covered container for up to two weeks.
